Title
Diabetes Specialty Clinic: An Intervention to Improve Care for Veterans
Abbreviated Journal Title
Qual. Manag. Health Care
Keywords
diabetes care; patient-reported outcomes; quality improvement; self-management; Health Care Sciences & Services; Health Policy & Services
Abstract
Objective: People with diabetes who have chronically higher than normal blood glucose levels are at risk for a variety of health conditions, such as kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and a shortened life expectancy. At a Veterans Health Administration Medical Center (White River Junction, Vermont), a team of providers, diabetes educators, and psychologist noticed that patient education and therapy sessions were not effective for some patients and in addition the center had above the benchmark percentage of veterans who had higher than normal blood glucose levels. The team thought a new approach might work better and through feedback from staff and primary care providers developed the Diabetes Specialty Clinic (DSC). Our working theory was that veterans would make changes in diabetes self-management and improve their levels of blood glucose by sharing their experiences with other veterans in a supportive environment. Methods: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate whether the DSC had a positive impact with the veterans. Hemoglobin A(1c) was obtained at the first group meeting and at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year, along with 5 patient-reported outcomes obtained using 4 questionnaires. Results: Thirty-nine veterans participated in the DSC. For the veterans who participated in the DSC for more than a year, 42% of the measures showed improvement, and they shared positive feedback on how the DSC influenced their behaviors by helping them engage in self-care activities. Conclusion: The DSC seemed to be effective in creating a space for establishing relationships, resolving issues, and understanding the management of diabetes for veterans and health care professionals.
Journal Title
Quality Management in Health Care
Volume
22
Issue/Number
1
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Document Type
Article
Language
English
First Page
66
Last Page
82
WOS Identifier
ISSN
1063-8628
Recommended Citation
"Diabetes Specialty Clinic: An Intervention to Improve Care for Veterans" (2013). Faculty Bibliography 2010s. 4102.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2010/4102
Comments
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